Title - 'Draw the Line' (Downtown)
Artist - David Gray
I have to admit, when I first put on this album, I had fears of 'New Day At Midnight' all over again. Trust me, I am a (huge) fan of David Gray, even playing his music at my wedding, but was disappointed by most of the songs on 'New Day.' Thus, I feared this was part two ... at first.
What kept me listening to this was not only my respect for his song writing and thinking I was missing something, but these great bass lines that, let's face it, Mr. Gray is not known for. The more I kept going back and checking out album, the more I started to uncover.
I love how an artist can reinvent themselves without straying to far from who they are. From start to finish, 'Draw the Line' is a ride. It's got hard-hitting tunes that you can't stop humming like "Fugitive," "First Chance," "Jackdaw," and "Stella The Artist." It's got moving ballads such as "Kathleen" and "Transformation." And it really excels with it's semi-dark, powerful tracks like "Nemesis" and "Full Steam." If this is the kind of album David Gray routinely puts together, I'll be first in line for future releases.
If you are a fan, give it time. You have to unpack this album because it is not just some mindless pop album. This is one of those albums you must hear about 20 times to really get it. Worth checking out! [WC]
www.downtownmusic.com